Pneumatic action for player-pianos.



M. HILGERT.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1911.

Fig.1.

5] vwentoz 13 144.4 micron mg LNK c. uv

Patented Apr. 23, 1918:

M. HlLGERT. PNEUMATIC ACTION-FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FiLED MAR. 9.1917.

1,263,556. Patented Apr. 23,1918.

2 SHEE'lS-SHEEI 2.

MATHEW HILGER-T, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

Application filed March 9, 1917. Serial No. 153,586.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATHEW HILGERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Actions for Player-Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic actions for player-pianos and has for its object the provision of a structure arranged in such manner as to permit free access to the ends of the air valve stems, so that the air valves may be regulated and adjusted without the removal of any base-boards, channel boards, or other inca-sing parts.

The invention also has for its object the provision of air valves having parts constructed and arranged in such manner that by the manipulation of the valve stems from the outside, the air orifices or parts may be enlarged or reduced for the proper control of the musical effect.

he invention further has for its object the provision of a resilient hinge on the power pneumatics combined with the cap stan rod for the proper control of the extent of the movements of the wippen whereby to assist in varying the musical effect.

These objects and others are attained by means of the novel construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of a player-piano mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a power pneumatic, illustrating in particular the resilient means by which the wippen is actuated from the power penmnatic.

Fig. 3 is an end view, taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a detail view of the primary valve construction.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the vacuum valve carried by the primary valve stem.

Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in section, of the secondary air valve construction, the vacuum valve or button being omitted.

Fig. 7 is an end view taken on a line 7 -7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail view, partly broken away, of the form of wire or instrument preferred for manipulating the valve stems.

Considerable difficulty, accompanied by waste of time, is experienced in the adjustment or regulation of the air valves in player-piano constructions, because, in order to have access to the valves, it is necessary to remove some casing part as a baseboard, channel board, or the like, and be cause, also, in order to test the valves after adjustment or regulation, it is first necessary to replace these boards, the valves being operable only when the boards are re placed. Consequently, before the valves are adjusted to that point of nicety desired, it is often necessary to remove and replace the said boards or coverings a number of times. In this invention, therefore, I have so arranged the air lines and the valves, that the stems of the valves project into the open,

permitting adjustment or regulation to be made without the removal of any obstructing boards or coverings. Novel improvement 1s also present in the lntroductlon of resilient means combined with the capstan screw for the actuation of the wippen from the power pneumatic, the purpose whereof is to obtain a quicker and more uniform response on the part of the wippen and associated parts under the action of the power pneumatic.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 10 denotes a supporting block for the primary air valves, which block is secured to the casing or frame parts of the player-piano in any suitable or well-known manner. Attached to the top of this block is a channel board or valve housing 11, on the top of which is disposed a second channel board or valve housing 12. to which at the left is secured the channel block 13, and at the right thereof, the channel block 14:, the last mentioned also extending along the end of the said block 11 to which it is also secured.

In these boards are arranged for operation all the primary valve actions, it being understood that there is one of these primary valve actions for each key on the player-piano, and that each valve action is operated by air received through a separate channel or tube extending from an orifice in the tracker board (not shown) in the usual way. Inasmuch as the air valve actions, both primary and secondary, are identical in all their parts, it is understood that a description in detail of one of each will be sutlicient for all of them.

As indicated in Fig. 1, an air tube 15 leads from the tracker board to a bore 16 in the block 14, which bore communicates with the bore 17, extending to the clearance space 18. To the top walls of each clear ance space as 18, is secured the periphery of a flexible diaphragm 19.

Out in the board 11 is a vacuum chest or chamber 20 in which are situated, as will be later described, the primary vacuum valves. Cut in. the channel board 12 are horizontal. bores 21, each of which communicates at one end through an orifice as 22 with the vacuum chest, and at the other or left end with an air tube as 23. In vertical alinement with each orifice a a second orifice 24 which provides air ommunication between the bore 21 and the outside atmosphere. Passing through each pair of alined orifices as 22 and 24 is a valve stem having an eyed or hooked outer end 26, the said valve stem being smaller in diameter than the said orifices in order to permit the passage of air from the outside atmosphere to the bore 21 and also from the bore 21 to the vacuum chamber 20. The lower end of the valve tem is threaded into a vacuum valve 27, the periphery of which is provided with a vertical slot 28 into which loosely projects a pin 29, the upper end of which i fastened in the board 12. In this manner I lock each primary vacuum valve upon its valve stem against rotation, so that the latter may be turned to advance or recede relatively in the former.

To the top end of each valve stem is secured a button 30, which is fixed thereon in such position that when valve 27 closes orifice 22 shutting oli communication with the vacuum chamber, the orifice 24 will be open for communication with the outside atmosphere, and conversely. It will thus be obvious that with the turning 01 the valve stem 25 by means of the eyed end 26, the vacuum valve 27 and the button 30, may be brought toward or away from each other relatively, so as to control the quantity of air which may pass from the outside atmosphere into the bore, and from the bore into the vacuum chamber.

For each vacuum valve 27, a bleed as 15 provides communication between the vacuum chamber 20 and each air tube as 15 in order that the air may be sucked from the air line into the vacuum chamber to enable the vacuum valve to reseat instantly after each operation.

In alinement with each air tube 23 and connected therewith by a suitable coupling as 31 is an air tube 32 extending downwardly through a suitable bore provided in .the vertical board 33, to which is secured in horizontally parallel and'spaced apart positions the secondary valve housings 34, 35 and 36. In the lower portion of each of these housings is a clearance space 37 to provide for the proper flexing of a diaphragm 38. Each clearance space 37 communicates by a bore as 39 with the end of an air tube as 32, it being understood in this connection that an air line communication is thus' provided between each clearance space as 37 ot the secondary valve with a bore as 22 of its prin'iary actuating valve.

Extending longitudinally in each of the secondary *alve housing 34, 35 and 36, is a secondary vacuum chamber as 40, in which operate in proper alinement the secondary vacuum valves consisting of a button as 41, which is fixedly secured to the lower end of a valve tem 42, the upper end of which extends into the open, and is provided With an eye 43. Above the secondary vacuum chamber 40 is an air relief chamber 44 which is partly partitioned from said vacuum chamber by a cup or valve seat 45 against which a valve disk 46, threaded or otherwise secured upon the stem 43, is arranged to seat. Threaded upon the valve stem 42 above the disk 46 is an exhaust valve disk 47, designed to close an exhaust opening 48 between the air relief chamber 44 and the open air. T he valve stem 42 is held operatively in position by mean of the strips 49 and 50, the former being secured to the valve housing on the outer side of the exhaust opening 48, while the latter extends across the opening between the vacuum chamber 40 and the relief chamber 44.

The valve disks 46 nd 47 are so located upon the stem 42 that when communication. i opened between the relief chamber 44 and the vacuum chamber 40, the opening 49 leading to the open air is closed, and also converscly. The vacuum valve 41 is located upon the said stem 42 in such manner as to be in constant contact with its diaphragm so that the least flexing of the latter will, impart corresponding movement to the stem. The quantity of air that may pass from the relief chamber 44 into the vacuum chamber 40 and also from the outside atmosphere into the vacuum chamber is controlled by spacing the disk 47 relatively with respect to the disk 46. This is accomplished by lifting up the valve stem so as to bring the disk 47 in tight frictional engagement with its seat and then by turning the valve stem so as to decrease or increase a required the distance between the said disk 47 and the disk 46.

The construction above described relates to. a double valve action, which embodies primary valves for the actuation of secondary valves. Some player-pianos employ a single valve action only. For this type of instruments, my improved valve mechanisms can readily be employed by eliminating the primary valves and by connecting the air tubes as 32 (as indicated by dotted outline) directly with the tracker board. When the single valve action is thu employed, a bleed. as 51 (shown in dotted outline) mustbe used to provide communication between the vacuum chamber 40 and each air tube as 32, in order to provide for the passage of the air from the air line to the vacuum chamber, whereby to re-seat the valves instantly after each operation. lVhen the double valve action is employed, bleeds as 51 are unnecessary, since the orifices as 22 permit the air to be sucked into vacuum chamber 20 when the vacuum valve 27 is open.

Suitably secured to vertical board 33, below the block 10, are the power pneumatics as 52 of any well-known construction, it being understood that there is one of these power pneumatics for each valve action, air communication being had between a power pneumatic and the adjacent air relief chamber 5L0 through an opening as 53 in the vertical block 33, which opening is effected around the air line tube 32. Secured to the outer surface of the lower side of each power pneumatic is a flat spring element as 54, which extends beyond the power pneu matic. Threaded transversely through the free or outer end of the spring element 54 is a capstan rod 55 upon which is mounted a pair of washers 56 and 57, the latter of which is made of rigid material, and both of which are held against the spring element 54 by means of a leather band 58, the opposed ends of which are attached to suitable projecting flanges formed for the purpose on the spring element 54 as best shown in Fig. 8. The opposite end of the capstan rod 55 is threaded through an eye provided in a deformed spring 59, which is secured at its other end to the inclined face of a block 60, provided for the purpose and secured to the underside of block 10. Fast upon the capstan rod 55, below the spring 59 is a washer (31, and also fast upon the said rod above 59 is a capstan 62 having the openings 63 in its periphery Thus I provide for the adjustment of the degree of expanslon of the power pneumatics; for by turning the capstan 62, the

rod 55 will be adjusted in the spring 54,

relatively advancing toward each other or pushing from each other accordingly as the capstan is turned, the spring 54: and the spring 59. As the capstan 62 is in constant contact with a wippen as 64, the opening and closing movements of a power pneumatic causes corresponding vertical movements in the wippen, whereby to sound the musical note in the customary way.

In order conveniently to turn the valve stems as 25 and 42 and also the capstan 62,

I prefer to employ a wire 65 bent at an angle near the reduced end 66, as shown in Fig. 8. The reduced end 66 is inserted in the eye of the valve stem or of the capstan, and adjustment is then effected by manipulating the wire in an obvious manner.

In operation, the air flows in the usual way from the tracker board through the air pipe 15 and bore 16 into the clearance space 18, bulging or flexing upwardly the diaphragm thereby causing the vacuum valve 27 to close the orifice 22, simultaneously unseating the button 30. This permits the outside atmosphere to flow through the orifice 24 into the bore 21, and on through the air tubes into the clearance space 37, by which action the secondary diaphragm 38 is bulged or flexed upwardly unseating the disk valve 46, permitting the air to flow from the power pneumatic 52 into the vacuum 40, the disk valve 47 being seated at the time of the flexing of the diaphragm 38, thereby clos ing communication between the relief chamber 44 and the outside atmosphere. Vhen the air flows out of the power pneumatic 52, it will be obvious that the same will be deflated, causing the capstan to descend, by which, through the actuation of the wippen, the note is sounded in the customary way.

lVhen the diaphragm 19 drops downwardly by the withdrawal of the air from the air line through the bleed 15 under the suction of the vacuum chamber 20, the orifice 22 opens, permitting the air in the air line for the secondary valve to be also sucked into vacuum chamber 20. This action causes the diaphragm 38 to drop, closing the disk valve 16 and opening the disk valve a7, thereby permitting the outside air to inflate the power pneumatic for the succeeding operation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a pneumatic valve construction, in combination, a valve casing having a vacuum chamber bounded partly at the bottom by a flexible diaphragm, and at the top by a par tition, means for admitting air underneath the diaphragm from a tracker board, a vertical port through the partition above the diaphragm leading to the outside atmos phere, a horizontal opening in the partition in commnication with the vertical port, a valve stem of smaller diameter than the vertical port extending through the same, said valve stem being formed with an eye on its top or outside end and being screw threaded on the end adjacent the diaphragm. an air valve fast on the stem below the eyed end and adapted to close the outside end of the vertical port when the stem is in one position, a vacuum'valve threaded on the screw threaded end in engagement with the diaphragm, and adapted to close the inside end of the vertical port when the stem in another position said vacuum valve having a notch in its periphery, and a pin fixed in the partition extending into said notch to hold said vacuum valve against rotation when the stem is turned whereby to.var y 10 the distance between the vacuum valve and the air valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MATHEW HILGERT.

Ccpies' of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I'ltentl.

Washington, I). C. 

